Football News
20 May 2005: Red Letter Day for Ferguson and Wenger
Manchester United v Arsenal games are always exciting affairs, and tomorrow's F.A. Cup final should prove no different.
Manchester United have been in the news off the pitch. Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been in charge for more than 18 years, is due to begin a one-year rolling contract this summer. And if you believe the leaks Malcolm Glazer is keen for him to stay on.
Similarly Ryan Giggs revealed today that in persuading the winger to sign a new 3 year contract, Ferguson had indicated that he too wanted to stay on. According to Giggs:
"When he was encouraging me to sign he indicated that he'll be here for at least that period of time."
It is difficult to see who Glazer could get to replace Sir Alex, and it may be that for the next season, at least, the Scot will remain at the helm.
With regard to more immediate matters, the F.A. Cup Final is a difficult game to predict. Statistically Thierry Henry's absence shouldn't make too much difference. Arsenal's record without the French striker is comparable to its performance when he does play.
The answer may lie on a more sociological level. The Guardian, yesterday, reported that everything else being equal sportsmen that wear red enjoy an advantage over those wearing white.
People with longer memories than me can try to analyse the validity of this theory in terms of the F.A. Cup final eg Liverpool v Arsenal or Sunderland v Leeds.
One thing's for sure the match looks set to see some red faces and possibly some red cards too.